Thoracostomy device



United States Patent Billy M. Bledsoe P.0. Box 26, Ashburn, Virginia22011 [21] Appl. No. 746,907

[22] Filed July 23, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 24, 1970 72] lnventor [54]THORACOSTOMY DEVICE 3,417,750 12/1968 Carson..... 3,463,159 8/1969Heimlich ABSTRACT: A thoracostomy device toremove air and fluid from thearea of the lungs through an elastic bulb having an air chamberconnected by a tube to the pleural cavity to draw fluid from the cavitythrough this tube into the chamber of the bulb. At the inlet end of thebulb, a one-way valve is provided which closes the end of the tube asthe fluid is discharged from the opposite end of the bulb duringsuccessive expansion and contraction thereof and with the inner surfaceof the chamber tapering inward toward the periphery of the valve and thetube to prevent accumulation therearound. The discharge end of the bulbis connected with a second enlarged chamber through a tube which alsohas a one-way valve to control back pressure therethrough during theopening of the first-mentioned valve by action of the bulb. This secondchamber also is in enlarged relation to the valve and tapers inwardtoward the valve and end of the inlet tube thereof to prevent materialfrom accumulating thereon. The second chamber discharges through a tubeto a suitable receptacle.

Patented Nov. 24, 1970 mvw'roa ATTORNEY 1 THORACOSTOMY navrcr SUMMARYAND DESCRIPTION person who has been'injured in the chest area so thatair or fluid can be aspirated or pushed out by the person on physicalmovements, by coughing, moving about, etc. I-lereto fore it has been thepractice to attach a drainage or water pressure bottle to this tube sothat fluid from the cavity can be drained therein, and with appropriateindications thereon, the amount of drainage can be determined.

Air can be removed from the lungs through the tube, but cannot enter thebody so long as the bottle remains attached thereto. These bottles,usually of glass, are subject to breakage and, in that event, collapseof the lung is possible due to the entry of air through the tube.

When a patient isbeing moved, it has been customary procedure for thechest .tube to be clamped off and thus sealed against the entry of air.The bottle can be moved along with the patient and reconnected when thepatient is in a new location.

No satisfactory way has been provided heretofore for preventing the flowof air and fluid in one direction only through the tube and it is theobjectof this invention to accomplish that result.

In carrying out this object, I have provided a device with a pluralityof chambers, two or more, arranged in tandem, and having means formingopenings from one to another. One of the chambers is adapted to beconnected with the tube leading to the chest cavity and another of thechambers is adapted to be connected with the bottle or other receptaclefor the fluid and/or air. One-wayvalves, such as flap valves,areprovided for the inlet openings of these receptacles or chambers so asto permit inlet of air or fluid therein, but to prevent discharge of thesame through the same inlet.

Thus, the air or fluid can be drawn in one direction only through thedevice and'be discharged into the bottle or receptacle with the tubeeffectively sealed off against backflow therethrough to prevent airleaking through the tube into the companying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1. is a side elevation of the thoracostomy device shown applied toa drainage tube, illustrated diagrammatically in its inserted positionin the lung area;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section'therethrough; and

FIG. 3 is a detail cross section illustrating a modification.

The invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 in its'relation to a patient,generally indicated at P, whose lung cavity, subject to drainage, isshown generally at L. Usually an incision is made in the chest area forthe insertion of a drainage tube 1 which extends into the lung cavity Lat one end and at the opposite end is connected with the thoracostomydevice generally indicated at 2 The device 2, according to. the formshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a pair of bulbular chambers 3 and 4which may be formed of one or more elastic sleeves and each capable ofbeing squeezed for expelling the contents therefrom. The elastic chamber3 has an inlet tube 5 connected therewith and which is alsointerconnected at 6 by a sealed connection with the drainage tube 1 sothat fluid passing out of the lung area will be discharged through thetube 1 and the tube 5 into the chamber 3. A pivoted check valve 7 ismounted on the end of the tube 5 to close the passageway through'thelatter tube against the back flow of air or fluid therethrough to thelung area.

The chambers 3 and 4 communicate with each other through a tube 8. Aone-way check valve 9 is mounted on the end of the tube 8 so asto permitfreedom of flow of air or fluid through the tube into the chamber 4 butto prevent a backflow therethroug'h. The check valves 7 and 9 close intosealing relation with the ends of the respective tubes 5 and 8.

The discharge side of the chamber 4 is connected with a discharge tube10 which, in turn, leads to a suitable receptacle, generally indicatedat ll. This receptacle may be in the form of a water sealed bottle,plastic bag, inflated bag, or the like.

The inner walls of the chambers 3 and 4 are substantially spherical andtaper uniformly at the opposite ends thereof to the adjacent ends of thetubes 5 and 8 and to the discharge tube 10' of the chamber 4. Thiseliminates sharp corners inside the, chambers which would otherwisecollect debris and organic matter or may build up from chest drainage,but the smooth slope of both chambers thus formed eliminates thecollecting areas.

An inlet-maybe provided in the chamber 3.if found desirable, asindicated at 12 in FIGS. 3, for irrigation of the device by sterilesaline solution-to cleanse it of any drainage substance and to insurethat the area around the one-way valves have no buildup which wouldinterfere with their function.

The inlet 12 should be provided with a tight cover, as indicatedgenerally at 13, which can be locked securely closed or sealed withtape, except when the cover is opened for irrigation purposes.

The second chamber 4 is an added precaution against the danger ofleakageof air through the drainage tube in the event of malfunction in thefirst chamber and it is also a precaution against bacteria entering thelung by leakage past the first chamber. Greater security is effected bytwo or more chambers than can be effected by one.

Moreover, as is illustrated in FIG. 2, the suction effect of therespective chambers can be different, thus using a stronger suction atchamber 3 than the mild suction obtained at chamberi. This is especiallyimportant where the patient himself may be called upon to'effect suchdrainage as, for example, when in transit, and this second chamberensures'that there would be no backup of drainage when this suction iscreated.

This-device may be made. of any suitable or desired material suchasrubber, plastic or the like, or it may be made transparent,nonbreakable, or of a material that could be discarded after one use.However, the device is constructed so as to be capable of being cleanedand used repeatedly, being attached very simply to the end of thecatheter and put into the pleural cavity. If no suction is needed, aplastic disposal bag could be attached to the end, which would alsoeliminate the use of the bottle.-

While the invention has been illustrated and described in certainembodiments, it is recognized that other variations and. changes maybe'rnade therein without departing from the invention set forth in theclaims.

I claim:

l. A thoracostomy device comprising an elastic bulb having an airchamber therein with inlet and outlet ends, a tube extending to theinlet end and connected therewith and adapted to be connected with apleural cavity, a one-way valve connected with said tube at the inletend in position to prevent flow from said chamber through said tube, asecond bulbular chamber having inlet and outlet ends, a second tubeconnecting the outlet end of the bulb with the inlet end of the secondchamber, a one-way valve connected with said second tube at the inletend of the second chamber in position to prevent backflow from saidsecond chamber through said second tube to the first-mentioned chamber,each of said chambers having the sides thereof converging inwardly in atapering direction around the respective valves toward the ends of therespective tubes, and means forming an outlet from the outlet end of thesecond chamber for discharging the fluid therefrom.

2. A thoracostomy device according to claim 1, wherein each of thechambers has an enlarged diameter relative to the tapering sides forfreedom of flow of fluid around the respective valves and through saidchambers.

outlet means and without backflow to the pleural cavity.

5. A thoracostomy device according to claim ll, wherein thefirst-mentioned chamber has an opening in a side thereof for irrigationof the chamber, and means for closing and sealing said opening.

